Crying is the primal means of an infant to express him or herself. This is why it experts say that it is only a common occurrence if a baby cries often everyday. However, if an infant shows sudden irritability, excessive crying for more than 3 hours a day, and suffer from noticeable discomfort, then this could be a sign colic. Indeed, one of the difficult phases of parenting is dealing with the infant when he or she shows signs of colic-a severe abdominal pain caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera such as the intestines. Known as a common problem from the first three weeks up to first three months of a child’ s life, colic is becoming one of the foremost concerns of more and more parents because they also experience and discomfort when their baby starts crying endlessly. Usually evident from the first 3 weeks of an infant’s life, colic consists of recurrent spasm and abdominal pain. This period of pain usually lasts from three hours up to 12 to 15 hours daily depending on the severity of the case. When a baby suffers from colic, he or she becomes hypertonic and can show alternating body postures that involve contractions, sudden stretching, spastically stiffening while he or she turns red. When these signs occur, parents should start observing their babies intently because it might be a simple colic or can be signs of a more serious digestive problem. Until now, doctors and people in the medical world have yet to discover the causes of colic in infants. Although, there have been various studies that indicate the possible causes of the condition that affects 20 percent of babies in the world. Researchers say that colic can originate in a baby’s intestines since he or she has sensitive and developing digestive and nervous system. Others say that colic can be a result of some environmental factors like certain milk formulas and cow’s milk for certain infants. THE SIGNS One of the most common signs of colic in infants is excessive crying with no apparent reason. Statistics show that 1 in every 10 babies experience colic because it is an apparent abdominal pain experienced in early infancy. Usually, colic attacks are evident before, during and after each meal. The cry usually starts out and can continue for 3 hours and more. Aside from loud and excessive crying, periods of irritability, and body contractions are also apparent signs of colic. Other signs of colic include: Vigorous and excessive for long periods of time despite extreme efforts of consolation Onset crying that starts around the same time everyday or night and can be ending or never-ending – Suffers from gas discomfort – Slight bloating of the abdomen – Has a hard and bloated stomach- Unlikely and patterned body contortions like pulling of knees to the chest- Hard-clenched fists- Flailing arms and legs- Arched back – Frequent sleeplessness- Chronic irritability – Unreasonable fussiness – Reddening face due to ling periods of crying – Excessive belching or spitting up after feeding – Passing gas – Experience difficulty in passing stools This list includes only the usual signs of colic. It is best if you visit a doctor once you see these symptoms in your baby so you can be sure that he or she is not experiencing more serious illness as early as now.
Posts Tagged ‘Signs’
How to Read the Signs of Colic
Sunday, July 11th, 2010Early Pregnancy Signs
Sunday, July 4th, 2010Whether you are trying to get pregnant, or have been given a surprise by the news – there are ways of detecting pregnancy through normal body functions and changes, sometimes even before a missed monthly period. Of course, the most accurate sign of pregnancy is a missed period. Often, after a period has been missed a pregnancy test will read accurately. Most women become suspicious if they have regular periods, and even a day or two late is an irregular occurrence.
As motherly as it sounds, food cravings can often be a sign of pregnancy. From popcorn to chocolate, these cravings may come at unnatural times and be a sure sign of early pregnancy. Are you experiencing cravings for food that you regularly avoid? This could be a sign of early pregnancy.
Tender or sore breasts are another sign of early pregnancy. With the hormone fluctuations that occur within the body, this can be a variable sign of pregnancy. Some women report that breasts feel heavier, sore, or even larger or engorged with the preparations that occur to accommodate the changes within the body. Darkening of the areolas may occur. What causes the darkening? Hormone fluctuations within the body can create these imbalances which cerate the darkening of the areolas. Sometimes in early pregnancy, an act as simple as a caress or wearing an uncomfortable bra can be a terrible experience. Not to worry, this pain usually subsides as the body adjusts to the pregnancy.
The increased levels of HCG within the body can have varying effects on each woman. For most, these increased HCG levels create the need for frequent urination.
Your body is working overtime to prepare for the pregnancy and the birth of the baby and with these increased workloads come fatigue. Fatigue is often one of the first signs in early pregnancy and could make something as simple as a day of errands feel like an exhausting task that warrants a nap. You can blame this on the increased levels of progesterone that are being produced within the body.
Morning sickness doesn’t just occur in the morning. Ask anyone who has gone through a pregnancy and suffered from the constant nausea and vomiting within the first trimester. Did you know that nausea can occur even two days after conception?
Along with morning sickness often comes an increased sense of smell as some say that this is nature’s way of protecting the mother from ingesting anything that may be harmful to the baby. Simply put, if you can smell garlic from down the block, or beer on your partner’s breath from across the room, you just might want to take that pregnancy test. An increase in post nasal drip or a nose that will not stop running is one of the signs of pregnancy as the nose is not exempt from the discharge which is increased through the body.
An increase in cervical discharge is an early indicator of pregnancy. This clear substance can be more pronounced even two to five days after conception.
Early Pregnancy Signs And Symptoms
Thursday, June 24th, 2010Many women problem how is planning to be the original pregnancy suggestion or symptom such a she can detect ensuing conceiving. Most woman are well-advised to detect all the first part of pregnancy signal and symptoms, prior to she approaches the doctor. These pregnancy signs and symptoms are spells this be sent by your person to find you conscience of the impregnation and swelling of baby inside your worm. There are a lot of ways so your person inform sends you equals as its responses to major hormonal alterations coming about inside your body. These responses enter pertinent alterations in both physical and mental health.Common the beginning of Pregnancy Signs and SymptomsMorning sicknessMorning sickness is commonly happen between the fourth and eighth week over pregnancy, a lot of women get the current symptom commencing right about two weeks according to the date of conception.
Morning sickness is a misnomer when it can be transpire at anytime. The several rampant spells of the present symptom give the impression to be the rapid increased of estrogen, created from what i read in the placenta and fetus. Another force for nausea is smells.The ordinary foods which can induce afternoon sickness are spicy foods, coffee, meat, and dairy products. However, it is principle to can appreciate too anything and everything can induce nausea and/ or vomiting within the duration of pregnancy.Breast TendernessOne of the the beginning of evident signs of pregnancy is swollen and tender breasts. You may detect such hint at bedtime, when buying dressed, when showering or exercising. When you commence pregnant, your person craft preparing your breasts for taking breast milk. The nipples may feel tender or greater amount of sensitive. A lot of women detect so the nipples becoming darken in color.Light bleeding and/or crampingThe normal lead of the faint bleeding additonally the first part of pregnancy is implantation. Implantation bleeding takes place additonally the embryo embeds itself in the uterine wall and by and large occurs 10 to 14 days once conception. Bleeding induced by implantation is essentially faint. The one and only signal you could easily detect overly signals implantation has occurred is a narrower spot of blood appeared on your panties.Cramping pain the is as to menstrual cramps takes place the first part of on pregnancy and crops up when the uterus starts to enlarge to make room for the embryo to swell to a fetus.Missed menstrual periodOne of the essentially the first part of pregnancy hint and symptoms is missing of menstrual period. For Other women, missed menstrual era is the principally suggestion to overly properties are pregnant, really in the women too hold normal menstrual period.Increased urinationIncreased urination takes place due to the growing in blood and more person fluids, processed by the kidneys and finishes up in the bladder. This symptoms may a good number of possible simply worsen when your pregnancy progresses.The symptoms of pregnancy are not the same for any pregnancy woman. Pregnancy symptoms may fluctuate in this duration, frequency and intensity. Some women get a lot ofsigns and symptoms, additonally others get few.If you’ve got all, one or two or one of the the beginning of pregnancy signs and symptoms of the above, you plans to get a pregnancy test kit and get yourself tested, if you’ve any doubtful outcomes, go to see the doctor as hastily as possible.
6 Autistic Children – 6 Signs Of An Autistic Child
Sunday, June 6th, 20106 Autistic Children
As the parents are gradually getting cautious about Autism, one must understand the symptoms of this disease. As the doctors explain, as early the disease is diagnosed the more are the chances of cure. Following below is a list of symptoms of Autism. In case you find any of these in your child, you’re advised to consult your child’s doctor immediately. A simple evaluation & check up can save your child in time.
1. The child does not meet the development stages on time.While some children start crawling at a tender age of 4 months, some do not reach this achievement until several months. Both ways, it is fine. Similarly, there are many stages that a child reaches in his growth process. Though there is no fixed time span for all these stages, if the child is showing a delayed response in every step, you must check with the doctor.
2. Your child is not able to talk.As children get aware of the environment around them they show responses in several ways. They start blurting a few words at a very young age and suddenly some day you realize that they are able to speak full sentences. The usual age when the child starts babbling some words is 16 months. In case your child does not react with words even after 16 months, it can surely be a matter of concern. The doctor might call for some evaluation tests that are necessary. 6 Autistic Children
3. Your child does not make any eye contact.Babies & children usually look at you while you talk to them. Children suffering with Autism avoid all sorts of eye contact. They seem to be lost elsewhere rather than looking at you.
Try pointing out an object to them and they would look past the object, reacting nothing to what you tell them.
4. Your does not emote.Children suffering with Autism do not emote at all. They do not smile back to some one passing them a smile. Normally children start crying if they see another kid crying. An Autistic child won’t react to any such situation. Unlike the normal kids, an Autistic child does not like to be cuddled or held in the arms. They would not approach their parents to be hugged or cuddled. 6 Autistic Children
5. Your child likes to be alone.Children suffering with Autism normally do not play with the kids around them. They rather like to be left alone and play all by themselves. They make very few friends or may be none. They can not differentiate jokes. As a result, they would follow each and every word told to them literally.
6. The child keeps forgetting anything taught to him.You taught him to make the bed today and just 4 days later he behaves as if he never knew anything about it. Autistic children can not retain anything you teach them. They need to be told about the very basic chores & skills time & again.
These are very few symptoms of Autism. Also we must understand that all children suffering with Autism won’t show all the signs together. They might show one or some of them. If you note any of these in your child consult your doctor and get the essential evaluations done within time. Remember, the earlier you diagnose the ailment, the sooner you can initiate the treatment. You might find that there was nothing wrong with the child, but its always safer to re-assure in case of any doubts. 6 Autistic Children
Find Out The Common Early Signs of Pregnancy – Know If You Are Pregnant
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010How a woman can figure out if she is pregnant is by observing the early symptoms of pregnancy. There are some other early pregnancy signs that can assist you in finding out if you are indeed pregnant much sooner than one commonly known early sign; missing a period. One needs to understand that even if one or two signs are inconclusive, the others that show positive indications should not be overlooked. Please read and remember the following signs:
Frequent & Intense Urination: This early pregnancy sign has become a stamp in many fertility doctor’s books. The increased urination is because of raised hormone levels from a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as Hcg.
Cramping: Many factors exist why a woman can begin cramping but if it occurs together with the other symptoms described in this article then they are more likely a part of the early signs of pregnancy. The beginning of cramping is mainly due to the woman’s ligaments creating space for the new baby to grow.
Lower Energy Levels: This early symptom of pregnancy most of the time, seems to always mean you are pregnant. The main factor here is correctly determining this sign to the amount of energy level reduced. For example, if it dramatic and noticeable and there are no other major changes in your diet or sleep it can be highly related to becoming pregnant.
Body temperature: The majority of women who are attempting to give birth should be fully aware of the methods of taking the basal body temperature. There is usually a minor difference noticed during the ovulation phase. When the temperature remains high following ovulation until the menstrual periods, then a woman can be pretty certain that she has gotten pregnant.
Missed Menstrual Cycle: This is a common symptom that most women are familiar with and there is sufficient reason because it is the most obvious signal. However, other factors apart from conceiving can result in not having a menstrual period such as nervousness, stress, prescriptions, etc.
It is worth mentioning that just one sign does not conclusively mean you are pregnant BUT if there are multiple signs then it is in your best interest to explore other options such as a home pregnancy test.
In addition, it is suggested that you keep your baby healthy by visiting a “fertility doctor” who can educate you more on the proper diet and care for the next nine months. In addition, if you have had some of these signs and cannot come to full conception then an appointment is also recommended.
If you suspect that you are pregnant it’s recommended to get a home pregnancy test to determine pregnancy or check with a fertility doctor. As soon as you are certain that you are pregnant you can get medical advice from your doctor regarding nutrition.
Early Pregnancy Signs – An Overview of Common Early Pregnancy Signs
Saturday, May 15th, 2010It is very important to detect pregnancy early on. The first trimester is crucial to developing a healthy baby.
There are many hints of being able to tell pregnancy in its early onset. There are different indications for every woman. One or more may apply to a person and there may be varying signs each time a woman gets pregnant. Reading through the several symptoms below will help.
The most obvious sign is missing a menstrual period. It especially holds true to those who have regular periods. However, for some women, delays in their period may be caused by several factors. Some of these are ailments, stress/fatigue, reaction to medicines or some food products and/or hormonal imbalance.
Another early indication is spotting or implantation bleeding. The fertilized egg implanting itself in the uterus sets this off. It is normally colored pink or red, sometimes brown. The spotting may be sometimes mistaken as the first-day period discharge. However, it does not carry on into a heavier flow as menstruation would. This sign presents itself three to six days after fertilization.
Increased body temperature is also one of the early pregnancy signs to watch out for. This increase in body temperature normally begins at the period of ovulation and carries on before the menstrual period starts. A prolonged higher body temperature way into the day that the menstrual period should begin may be early signs too.
A pregnant woman may also experience more frequent urination in a day at the early stages of infanticipating. Adjustments of the uterus to accommodate the fertilized egg apply pressure to the bladder. So, a pregnant woman may experience this for the whole nine months. Hormonal changes also cause this common source of discomfort for expectant mothers.
Dizziness and/or nausea, commonly known as “morning sickness,” are also among the early indications. This takes place a month later, after the pregnancy has begun. Though it is called “morning sickness,” an expectant mother may experience dizziness and/or nausea in the afternoon or evening as well. In fact, some would experience it the whole day.
A number of women observe that they prefer some foods or strange combinations of certain foods more than others at the first trimester. Several foods and odors disliked may even trigger nausea to certain expectant mothers. These cravings were explained to be caused by the hormonal changes in the body. Another reason is that the body may be requiring particular nutrients found in these foods being craved for.
Heartburn or constipation is one more common early sign. Swelling of the uterus, applying pressure to the stomach and other organs, causes this. Hormonal changes that cause slowing down of food digestion and absorption is also reason for constipation.
Mood swings and irritability are also early indicators. Emotional adjustment among pregnant woman is one normal phase that she undergoes. Changes in the body, heightened hormonal production, discomforts caused by these changes and the responsibility being put to a soon-to-be mother are rather good reasons to cause mood swings and irritability.
Among these other signs, it can also be detected early through weight gain and bloating. A feeling of tenderness of the breasts and the nipples also occurs. Darkening of the areolas or the area surrounding the nipples also typically takes place. This is a normal condition with expectant mothers.
A woman may use home pregnancy test kit. It is best done after a day or two that the menstrual period is missed. If the test shows a negative result, it is advised to retry after a number of days to be sure. Of course, conclusive pregnancy test results can be done in hospitals and clinics. Nevertheless, there are home pregnancy test kits of high quality and give reliable findings.
Prenatal care with a trusted doctor is recommended for expectant mothers. It is the preeminent thing to do so that a woman can deal with the discomforts gracefully. Certainly, keeping the baby healthy is one main objective of this process.
Baby Colic – How To Read Its Signs And Symptoms
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010We try and understand the reasons behind baby colic and state ways to determine whether an infant has the complaint through studying various symptoms associated with the condition.
All famous baby books on child rearing and looking after babies have mentioned the condition called baby colic and new parents or soon to be parents need to mentally prepare themselves with accurate information regarding this and other infant-issues to stay atop the problem.
Most colicky babies begin feeling the pain as early as in 2-3weeks of birth with most colic episodes reaching their peak when the baby reaches 2 months of age; thereafter, usually the symptoms die down and slowly fade away in a another couple of months.
Medical health professionals have several theories revolving around what causes colic but are yet to prove any chief source of it, though lactating mothers consuming gas-producing products (cruciferous veggies etc.) and allergen-containing food that is passed on to a breast fed child and an under-developed gastrointestinal system with muscles unable to function properly for processing food in an infant are the two main causes.
Other causes that are medically recognized as reasons for causing, worsening or influencing colic episodes are lactose intolerance or intolerance to cow’s milk or powdered milk, hormonal changes in the infant’s body and the mother’s anxiety (post-partum depression) or even over-feeding.
Non-stop crying up to 3 hours (some bad cases have babies yelling their heads off for nearly 5 hours at a stretch), 3 times a week for a month or more indicates a colicky baby. For new parents not aware of colic being a normal condition for many babies, the crying and screaming can get too much and they fear something seriously wrong with their baby, which is when they need to rule out any other reasons for crying –to establish colic for sure.
Colic usually occurs in the evening and some infants have a specific time of the day when they will experience colic pain, typically after a meal, so parents need to be alert to these kinds of episodes and wait again to see if it will recur. Many a time it can be due to gas in the stomach that makes a baby cry for long till it is released (usually by rubbing on the tummy or holding the baby upright and burping the infant). Most babies that have this problem will find relief on passing bowels and releasing the gas towards the end of the job!
Look out for the way your baby holds its hands and legs, if checking for colic: if they pull in their legs towards the abdomen in a squeezing motion and clench fists or trash around due to severe abdominal pain, it is usually colic. When accompanied by loud and continuous crying, which has many new parents thinking the baby may be hungry, it usually points to a case of colic.
Parents are advised not to panic and to take turns in holding the baby upright till the pain subsides as colic does not have any treatment as such, so has to be waited out; cheeks may turn red from frequent crying and it may take a while to calm the child, but parents need to have their wits about them in dealing with a colicky child.
Early Signs Of Miscarriage – Warning For Expecting Moms
Friday, March 5th, 2010Camping and Virginal bleeding should not be taken lightly, especially when you’re pregnant. When there are symptoms that are lacking from your former pregnancy it can also be read as a sign of danger. Keeping an eye on your pregnancy can help save the life of your little one. Constant visits to your doctor for follow-ups is the best way to counter act this tragedy. Virginal bleeding doesn’t always result to a miscarriage but if not detected and treated early on can lead to it.
Ultrasound scans are the best way to see the baby’s condition in the womb. This will be given to you by your doctor as soon as there is something off with your pregnancy. There are other physicals you need to undergo. Examination of the pelvis will allow the doctor to know if the cervix has dilated. This is not a good sign, because of it the baby will be prematurely terminated. On the other hand, if closed then precautionary measures should be taken to avoid abortion. Bleeding can be in different shades from light to dark brown and reddish. There’s another kind of spotting that might be mistaken for virginal bleeding and that’s implantation bleeding, this is also deep dark brown but is not harmful.
Most women who are very hectic with their schedules tend to stress. That’s why if you are pregnant keep checking the stress levels in your life to prevent his dilemma from taking over. If this kind of situation cannot be avoided then refrain from anxiety. Keep a cool head, statistically speaking there are women who go through this thing and end up with the healthiest babies of their life time. The crucial thing to keep in mind is to stay positive about your pregnancy. Following what the doctor ordered can be very hard for career oriented women. They are always on the go. So, if you feel that you’re like most of them, stop what you’re about to do and listen to what the doctor told you. In most cases, doctors will give you a healthy diet regiment and lots of bed rest. This will help the nerves to calm down and the womb to relax. A relaxed womb means it is not contracting. Therefore, without contractions then higher possibility of keeping the baby from premature labor, otherwise known as early abortion.
Worse come to worst, if the dreaded day does take effect, keep your head high. This could not mean that you will never be able to keep your next pregnancy out of harm’s way. Unless there has been three consecutive miscarriages, then try your best to stay healthy and stress-free while with child. For the more unlucky ones, seeking your doctor’s advice to look for primary causes of your situation can get you to a better place. Doctors will give you a thorough examination like a laparoscopy to get to the bottom of things. As soon as they know what the obstruction is in your body, then medical interventions can help you.
Motherhood goes beyond having a miscarriage. Yes indeed it is a sad way of loosing your unborn child that needs a mourning period. But, moving from the tragedy is the best way to keep on going and trying to get pregnant once more. Support is readily available from groups to one on one with a therapist. Remember, you are not alone on this. There are other women who have experienced the same thing and have 10 children now.
Taking Blood Pressure Readings: Understanding the Vital Signs
Friday, February 5th, 2010A woman’s blood pressure is one of her most reliable clues in determining if her cardiovascular system is in good condition. Blood pressure is monitored with the aid of an instrument called sphygmomanometer, which measures the pressure or force per unit area exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels. It is worthy to note that the pressure of the circulating blood increases as it moves toward the heart through the veins and decreases as it moves away from the heart through the arteries and capillaries. Depending on a person’s age, size, and gender, blood pressure may vary from person to person. In the same token, it would be difficult to hold a single value as the standard for all who may fit in that category. For example, it will be hard to say that two individuals will have the same blood pressure simply because they are of the same age and gender without taking into consideration their body mass. Taking One’s Blood PressureWhen a woman has her blood pressure taken, there are two figures that will be given to her to indicate her blood pressure: 1) The first figure tells about her systolic pressure, which is also known as the peak pressure. It represents the pressure that the heart exerts in pumping blood to the veins. 2) On the other hand, the figure below the systolic pressure is known as the diastolic pressure. It is also known as the resting pressure and indicates the lowest pressure that the heart exerts in between beats. For a woman, it is always important to have her blood pressure checked at least twice a year. This will be needed in order to determine her “normal” blood pressure and detect possible changes in it due to diet or lifestyle changes. In case of pregnancy, having blood pressure checked should be done in a regular basis in order to assure that the pregnancy is going on smoothly without any risk to the woman or to her baby.Reading One’s Blood Pressure Once blood pressure is taken, doctors can now tell if a woman is suffering from hypertension or from hypotension. Either way, each of these cases signify an unhealthy condition which can be dangerous to a woman’s health.1) Hypertension: higher blood pressure tends to overwork the heart, causing the heart muscles to thicken and weaken in time. Moreover, it may also encourage the growth of unhealthy tissues in the walls of the arteries.2) Hypertension can cause stroke, heart failures, heart attacks, arterial aneurysms, and chronic renal failure.3) Hypotension: the opposite of hypertension is hypotension. This happens when the blood pressure is too low that the brain suffers from a critically low level of blood supplied to it. 4) As a result, a woman experiences lightheadedness, weakness, dizziness, and fainting. In some cases, hypotension is due to one’s posture: for example, a patient may experience the condition when standing up after a long while sitting down. When this happens, a patient may also suffer from weakness and may faint.
